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Mall of America and other malls as a target--new video:
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/feb/22/al-shabaab-mall-threat-homeland-security-shutdown
Hope Riback is not vacationing in the Caribbean! Protest has been at top of his docket for two weeks now!
KI2002rom: Riback's current docket:
http://www.gao.gov/search?q=Scott+H.+Riback&facets=a%3A3%3A%7Bs%3A7%3A%22docdate%22%3Bs%3A22%3A%222014-08-20to2015-02-20%22%3Bs%3A4%3A%22site%22%3Bs%3A18%3A%22Bid+Protest+Docket%22%3Bs%3A7%3A%22subsite%22%3Bs%3A14%3A%22Without+Action%22%3B%7D&now_sort=docdate%20asc&search_type=Solr
In the past 3 years, GAO attorney Scott H. Riback, the attorney of record deciding the Morpho bid protest, has this record:
Of 160 bid protests he decided:
Dismissed (84)
Denied (27)
Withdrawn (23)
Sustained (15)
Without Action (11)
Go to this GAO link, click on the "Without Action (11)" link on the left. Those are the cases currently on his docket. You will see that he is currently working on Morpho, it being the oldest one on his docket.
http://www.gao.gov/search?adv_begin_date=02%2F19%2F2012&adv_end_date=02%2F19%2F2015&facets=a%3A2%3A%7Bs%3A7%3A%22docdate%22%3Bs%3A22%3A%222014-08-19to2015-02-19%22%3Bs%3A4%3A%22site%22%3Bs%3A18%3A%22Bid+Protest+Docket%22%3B%7D&q=scott+h.+riback
Federal offices are closed Tuesday. Emergency and telework-ready employees must follow their agencies’ policies. (per the NYTimes, owing to snowstorm in D.C.)
So no Morpho decision today, unless Riback telecommutes instead of shoveling...
Boehner: Homeland Security could be shut down at the end of the month
WASHINGTON — The House speaker, John A. Boehner, said Sunday that he was “certainly” prepared to allow funding for the Department of Homeland Security to lapse, raising the possibility that one of the government’s largest and most vital agencies could be shut down at the end of the month.
Coming just two months after Republicans gained full control of Congress, a shutdown would be a major political problem as the party tries to honor a vow to govern responsibly and cooperatively.
It would contradict a pledge from Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the majority leader, who said the day after his party won decisively at the polls in November, “There will be no government shutdowns.” And it would exacerbate a rift that has been growing between Republicans in the House and the Senate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/16/us/politics/john-boehner-says-hed-allow-homeland-security-shutdown.html?_r=0
Morpho is being decided as we speak, I think.
Using same website, search for Scott H. Riback in the search field. He is the attorney assigned to Morpho's case. All of his current & previous cases will come up. As of Monday, 2/9, he had resolved all cases that had been filed prior to Morpho's protest on 11/25. So I suspect he's been doing Morpho this week and a decision is imminent.
The are 101 unresolved bid protests older than
ours on the GAO docket right now. However, last week there were 168 open protests older than ours. So we are slowly inching up the docket. Of course, GAO could render a decision any day about Morpho's protest. I'm sure they don't take cases just according to the date the protest was filed; they must have some latitude within the 90-day limit. But it does seem they are starting to clear up some of the backlog that accumulated over the holidays.
Morpho's protest is top of page 3 in spot 102:
http://www.gao.gov/legal/bids/docket.html?openclosed=open&agency=All&snumber=&protestor=&filenum=&now_sort=docdate%20asc,issue_date_dt%20asc&rows=50&searched=1&o=100
Backscatter: ancillary but interesting article in NY Times today
Judge Orders NYPD to Release Records on X-ray Vans
http://www.propublica.org/article/judge-orders-nypd-to-release-records-on-x-ray-vans
Hah! Mine's in graduate school now. At least she had a good job
before going off to do grad school, so she had some money to play with. Good luck to you & your young'un, and good luck to us all!
Yes, "may" is the operative word. However,
given the less than chummy relationship between the U.S. & France historically, politics could come into play here. I hope not.
I only put the Morpho info out there to point out to Ten4 that France is no slam dunk.
I am not trying to be antagonistic here. Just trying to point out the realities.
FYI: I am not a basher. Am long, intend to stay that way until this goes one way or the other irrevocably. As a matter of fact, I recently put my young'un into IMSC, her first stock holding ever.
My point is that Morpho, a subsidiary of a French company, may be the first choice in France.
My post was a reply to this: I bet France is in the market for some increased Airport security measures...
Yeah, but Morpho has the edge in France
PR on 11/25
http://www.morpho.com/actualites-et-evenements/presse/morpho-launches-non-radioactive-trace-detector?lang=en
PR on 12/17
http://www.morpho.com/actualites-et-evenements/presse/morpho-s-itemiser-4dx-receives-ecac-approval-for-explosives-screening?lang=en
This isn't helping our Share price
GAO Bid Protests: An Overview of Time Frames and Procedures
Very thorough review (22 pages, with charts & footnotes) of timelines & procedures & process (probably more than you want to know) done by Congressional Research Service
https://www.hsdl.org/?view&did=760228
NY Times editorial 1/8/15:
"Anyone who has spent time waiting shoeless on an airport check-in line — in fact, anyone who flies — should pay serious attention to the recent revelation that an airline baggage handler was allegedly able to smuggle 153 firearms in an accomplice’s carry-on bag on 17 Delta flights from Atlanta to New York during a seven-month period. The reason, shocking in its simplicity, is that most back-room airport workers are not required to pass through metal detectors on the way to the job."
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/09/opinion/gun-running-in-the-jet-age.html?hp&action=click&pgtype=Homepage&module=c-column-top-span-region®ion=c-column-top-span-region&WT.nav=c-column-top-span-region
Sympathy today, of course, is with France after that horrific atrocity in Paris yesterday. Morpho, a part of Safran, is a French company. Hope that doesn't sway the bid protest.
Just curious
Has anyone else tried to look up the Solicitation number under which Morpho's protest has been filed (HTHS04-14-R-CT2050)?
I have, to no avail. That solicitation number seems not to exist anywhere except in the news stories about Morpho's protest as well as on the bid protest site itself.
Morpho Detection, Inc.
http://www.gao.gov/docket/B-410876.1
Solicitation Number: HTHS04-14-R-CT2050
Agency: Department of Homeland Security : Transportation Security Administration
File Number: B-410876.1 Outcome: Not Decided Status: Case Currently Open
$37,734.40
IMSC price list for contract GS-07F-0490U through 7/31/2013
https://www.gsaadvantage.gov/ref_text/GS07F0490U/0LH3N4.2L8JLO_GS-07F-0490U_IMTEXT.PDF
On another topic, isn't it interesting that Morpho announced their new non-radioactive trace detector on the very day that they also filed the bid protest? Bet they put out the press release on the new device in a hurry, just so they could meet the protest filing deadline.
Imsc sold devices to the State Department on 2/19/2014 for $19,999 a pop. These clearly were the
H-150's.
"Purchase of 50 non-radioactive ion mobile spectrometry devices to be donated to the Government of Mexico at their airports for detection of explosives, ammunition, narcotics, etc."
It sold "Explosive Protection Machine Pkg" on 9/20/2012 for $34,050 that was funded by the Air Force but contracted by the Army.
It sold "Quantum Sniffer" on 7/18/2013 for $36,684.40 that was funded by the Army and contracted by the Army.
It sold "SPECTROMETER" on 5/15/2013 for $38,559.72 that was funded by the Navy and contracted by the Navy.
It sold an undetermined number of B-220's to the TSA in November for 21million and change.
The 21 mil figure is not for 1170 devices, for sure.
Q.E.D.
And thank you for your hard work and thoughts.
43 million
http://government-contracts.findthebest.com/l/9485388/Implant-Sciences-Corporation-Transportation-Security-Administration-HSTS0415DCT2011
HSTS0415JCT8502:
http://usaspending.gov/explore?tab=By+Prime+Awardee&fiscal_year=all&piid=HSTS0415JCT8502&typeofview=detailsummary
HSTS0415DCT2011 :
http://usaspending.gov/explore?tab=By+Prime+Awardee&fiscal_year=all&idvpiid=HSTS0415DCT2011&typeofview=detailsummary
Thanks for the compliment, Rich, but I don't have "real knowledge."
Just spent some time today trying to get more of a handle on this whole federal contracting thing, which is really opaque, at least to me. Just remember, it's all just guessing on my part.
Since it is a Multiple Award Contract, maybe the ceiling of 400,000 refers to any one federal entity ordering under this contract.???
2.1 million = about 50 units, right? Spread around to multiple agencies that would give us a lot of exposure. Again, just a WAG
Well, this contract has been running since 2008
https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/fpdsportal?indexName=awardfull&templateName=1.4.4&s=FPDS&q=%22GS07F0490U%22+PIID%3A%22GS07F0490U%22&x=19&y=12
Just a WAG, but the 162 million contract is only available to DHS components. This one is open to all federal agencies. So maybe it's to allow other fed entities to order one to try it out to see if it fits their needs, at which point they might order some from their own monies.
Here's an example from the Navy
https://www.fpds.gov/common/jsp/easySearchDocumentController.jsp?agencyID=9700&PIID=N0040613F0159&modNumber=P00001&transactionNumber=0&idvAgencyID=4730&idvPIID=GS07F0490U&actionSource=searchScreen&actionCode=&documentVersion=1.4&contractType=AWARD&docType=C
Right. And that is the summary view, which can be expanded for more detail.
Important to note that the "IDV Active Until: 10 November 2015" refers to the last date on which an order can be placed, not when the order must be delivered. 140 million outstanding on this. (;>)
Sully: ICD IDV IDC info
About ICD
The Interagency Contract Directory (ICD) is a central repository of Indefinite Delivery Vehicles (IDV) awarded by the Federal agencies where the IDV is available for use at both the intra agency and interagency levels. IDVs include Government-Wide Acquisition Contracts (GWAC), Multi-Agency Contracts, Other Indefinite Delivery Contracts (IDC), Federal Supply Schedules (FSS), Basic Ordering Agreements (BOA), and Blanket Purchase Agreements (BPA).
https://www.contractdirectory.gov
See also
https://www.contractdirectory.gov/contractdirectory/FAQs.html
See also
https://www.fpds.gov/help/contractdirectory_help.htm
I believe it is b/c dismissals of a protest 1) must be made within 30 days of protest, and 2) dismissals are not publicly announced. This fits the 30-day timeframe and is TSA's affirmation of Implant as the anointed one.
Very Good. After scouring it, I found it was dated 11/03/2014, which is excellent.
Per fringe media: Dirty bomb now smuggled into Europe
No traditional media has mentioned it
ISIS/Dirty bomb stories
all over the internet today. Altho not picked up by major media yet.
Iran-Backed Hackers Target Airports, Carriers
" You’re talking about the whole of critical infrastructure"
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-12-02/iran-backed-hackers-target-airports-carriers-report.html
McGann is listed as a speaker as well
New Contract Action Posted GSA/FSS GREATER SOUTHWEST ACQUISITION CTR (7FCO):
https://www.fpds.gov/ezsearch/fpdsportal?s=FPDSNG.COM&sortBy=SIGNED_DATE&q=%22implant+sciences%22&indexName=awardfull&y=7&x=23&templateName=1.4.4&desc=Y
FYI: "First Article Unit"
After some research: I think this is a term used to denote an item initially supplied by the vendor that is then held by the acquirer until the full contract has been fulfilled. It is used as a benchmark device against which all subsequent units are compared--to ensure all subsequent units meet the benchmark specs. It differs from "First Article Testing," which requires the initial unit to be tested. Presumably, IMSC does not have to go thru "First Article Testing," as they have tested us up the wazoo.
What is not a moot point:
the vituperative ad hominem attacks on this board just serve to drive people away from sharing their viewpoints (or info). Settle down, boys.
"They found their solution at Implant Sciences."
Nice puff piece
http://www.intelligent-aerospace.com/articles/2014/11/tsa-to-deploy-implant-sciences-desktop-explosive-trace-detectors-at-multiple-u-s-airports.html